Kirtan Introductory Basics

Tutorial 2: Mrdanga
Pranam Mantras:
namo jagannatha –sutaya namo mridangaya namah
lavanya-rasa madhury- sahasra –guna –samyuktam
namo mridangaya namo namoh
namo baladevaya namo namah

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the son of Sri Jagannatha Misra (Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu.) I offer obeisances unto the Mridanga, from which sweet and nectar sound
emanates. I offer my obeisances again and again unto the Mridanga which has thousands of
good qualities. And I offer my obeisances unto Lord Baladeva who assumes the form of the
Mridanga to serve Lord Caitanya.

mridanga- brahma –rupaya lavanya –rasa-madhurisahasra-guna samyuktam

mridangaya namo namah

Unto the Mridanga, that supreme Brahman formed as a clay drum which is infused with the
sweet mellows of graceful enchantment, and endowed with thousands of transcendental
qualities, I bow down again and again.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
 Hand Practice (Haath Sadhana)

There are four basic mantras or strokes for the hand practice:

TE RE KHE TE

How do we play this?

Right side = (R.s) Left side = (L.s)
TE: (R.s) Four fingers middle closed sound
RE: (R.s) Thumb middle closed sound
KHE: (L.s) Palm middle closed sound
TA: (R.s) Four fingers middle open sound
JHA: (L.s) Palm middle open sound

Mantra Succession:

1. TE RE KHE TA

2. TERE KHETA

3. TEREKHETA

4. TERE TERE TERE KHETA

5. TERE KHETA TERE KHETA TERE

TERE TERE KHETA

6. TERE KHETA KHETA TERE

7. TERE KHETA JHA